Leviathan ignored him, stepping up to a claw machine full of small stuffed toys and pulling out a dollar from some deep magic place in his pocket. Cullen raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to play that?”
He threw him a quick, crooked grin. “Doubting my skills?”
“Doubting your old ass age.” Cullen muttered, half turning to examine some of the nearby games.
“Age comes with wisdom, you little shit.” Leviathan hissed, his eyes falling to the toys inside the machine. “That’s why I’m about to win you that doll.”
Cullen followed his gaze. “That thing is creepy.” It really was. It was a pea-soup green and had strange “hair” sticking up out of its head. The little doll seemed to stare right back at him with its beady black eyes. It looked like a stuffed voodoo doll and gave off the same creepy aura.
“You know you like it.” Leviathan scoffed, leaning over the machine. “Now hush so I can focus.”
Cullen shut his mouth, crossing his arms with an expectant expression.
Wisdom may come with age, Cullen decided a few minutes later, but it certainly did not help a demon lord win stuffed toys.
By the tenth time the small claw brushed uselessly over the little voodoo doll, Leviathan’s easy smile had vanished, replaced with a hard clench of his jaw and the sharp shine of his teeth as he snarled. Again and again and again…
Finally, Cullen took mercy on him, though he was biting back laughter at this point. “Do you want me to–”
“No!” He snapped, his voice loud enough that Cullen saw the cashier glance up at them.
“Maybe we could try something else for now.”
Leviathan slammed hard hands down on the machine and rounded on him, his eyes blazing with rage. Cullen winced, but hesitantly reached forward to touch the joystick. “Just let me show you how to do it. I won’t win the doll.”
Leviathan glared at him for another long moment, and then stepped away with an irritated scoff, crossing his arms in a truly extraordinary pout.
Cullen gave him a small, nervous smile and then turned to the machine, quickly moving the joystick a few careful times–over a different monster toy, this one dark blue with horns and wings–and quickly scooped up the tiny stuffed toy, bringing it forward and dumping it down the chute before he risked a glance at Leviathan again. He could’ve sworn his eye gave the slightest of twitches, but he said nothing as he took the place in front of the machine again.
A nervous tension spread down his spine as he watched Leviathan copy his example, his lips pressing tightly together to hold in the relieved exhale he nearly gave when the little toy was scooped up. Leviathan snarled softly, though his eyes flashed with glee as he darted down toretrieve the stuffed toys. Cullen grinned despite himself when he stood and offered him the little voodoo doll, his hand moving forward to take it without argument. Though the acceptance felt…somehow heavy.
“What are you going to do with that one?” He asked to distract himself as Leviathan examined the other doll.
He gave him a curious frown. “Keep it? What else would I do with something you won for me?”
He blinked. “I…I didn’t…”
Leviathan turned away before he could gather his thoughts, his hand curling tight around Cullen’s wrist as he moved through the arcade. “Let’s try another one.” He murmured.
Cullen fell silent and let him lead.
30
Asoft brush against his back brought him slowly out of a sound sleep. He shifted, turning his head to the side, and whatever it was brushed him again, lower this time. He groaned softly and twisted away from the now familiar touch.
“Please, no more.” Cullen mumbled into the pillow. “We did it so many times…” He hugged the pillow closer, shifting even farther away from the touch.
“Only four…” Leviathan’s deep voice crooned as his lips came down on his bare shoulder. His hand drifted down again, brushing over his bare ass. “It’s practically an insult to my stamina.”
“Well, it’s not an insult to mine.” He grumbled, batting his hand away. Leviathan made an irritated sound but moved his hand back up, rubbing slow circles on his back. Cullen let him, drifting off again before Leviathan spoke once more, dragging him from the edge of sleep.
“What would you like to do today, pet?” He murmured,his chin resting on his shoulder.
“Sleep.”
He gave a grunt of impatience. “But later.”
“More sleep.”
